In many mechanical devices, it is desirable or necessary to detect the position or movement of a movable member of the device in relation to another part of the mechanical device. It is also desirable in some cases to provide an output electrical signal that is indicative of the current position or movement of the movable member.
One example of such a mechanical device is a brake booster for a vehicle, in which it is desirable to know the position of a movable diaphragm support located inside of the booster, in relation to a housing of the booster that completely encloses the diaphragm support and makes it impossible to view the diaphragm support external to the booster. It may be desirable to know the position of the diaphragm support in a booster to discern driver intent in a controlled brake system, or for providing a remote indication of a problem with the controlled brake system.
One type of position sensor used for such purposes includes a magnetic flux sensing device, such as a Hall-effect sensor, to generate an electrical signal indicative of the intensity of a magnetic flux impinging on the sensing device. The sensing element is typically attached to a housing of the position sensor, along with a source of magnetic flux in the form of a permanent magnet, or an electromagnet. A movable element inside the position sensor has a connection adapted to bear against or be attached to a point of contact on a surface of a part whose position is to be detected. As the movable element moves with the point of contact, the position of the movable element in relation to the sensing element and the source of magnetic flux causes the magnetic flux impinging on the sensing element to vary as a function of the position of the movable element, in a manner that allows the sensing element to generate an electrical signal indicative of the position of the point of contact in relation to the housing of the sensor.
While such position sensors are widely used, there are several areas in which an improved sensor design is desirable. It is sometimes difficult to achieve a true linear relationship between the position of the point of contact and electrical signal generated by the sensing element. Some prior position sensors addressed this problem by incorporating multiple sensing elements into the position sensor itself, or by using complex signal processing circuitry for converting a non-linear signal from the sensing elements into a signal having a linear relationship to the position of the point of contact.
This has been particularly true in position sensors that are required to provide position detection over a wide range of movement, spanning a range of 0.5 to 2.0 inches or more of travel. The use of such additional sensing elements and signal processing circuitry is undesirable because the physical size and cost of the position sensor is significantly increased, and because the additional sensing elements and circuitry create more potential points of failure, thereby reducing the ruggedness and reliability of the sensor.
What is needed, therefore, is an improved position sensor, and a method of sensing position, that provide a solution to one or more of the problems described above.